Remember Microsoft Works, the lighter, entry-level Microsoft Office-type software that often shipped with new computers? According to tech news site Betanews, Microsoft is ditching the Works model, replacing it with a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office with limited functionality that will ship from participating manufacturers.

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The full Office suite will actually be installed on these computers, but it'll remained crippled until whatever time the user decides to purchase an upgrade from their PC seller, who will simply hand them a card with a license on it. It probably sounds like good news to people who don't really need Microsoft Office to do any sort of heavy lifting, but with so many good Office alternatives for those folks, it's probably not going to be the best option out there, either. [Betanews]